Zoosk’s Social Media Etiquette Survey & Findings

Zoosk recently conducted a series of surveys to gather Americans’ thoughts on social media etiquette when it comes to sharing romantic moments on sites such as Facebook and Twitter. What did we find out? Well, our survey findings show that both singles and couples embrace social media, but are also very cautious when it comes to sharing personal information about their relationships on social media sites! Not surprising, in this day and age. But we also found out that couples do embrace certain technologies, like text messages, that help them interact throughout the day and feel connected to each other. (Like our Zoosk couple profiles!) Some of our specific survey findings include:

Americans restrict social media sharing for the sake of their professional careers.

60% of Americans say they are cautious about posting romantic posts on social media because they are worried about what their co-workers might think.

64% of Americans would be more apt to share romantic relationship updates on social media if they were not Facebook friends with their co-workers.

38% of Americans say they just do not post any relationship or date night photos on social media sites for that reason.

Couples embrace technology in their relationships.

81% of couples say they use technology to interact with each other throughout the day.

60% of couples say the primary role of social media in their relationship involves publicly expressing feelings of love or sharing photos/videos or relationship updates with family and friends.

Texting can be romantic!

78% of Americans would prefer a romantic text vs. an affectionate Facebook post or Tweet.

Women like to view their friends’ date night photos; men prefer privacy.

51% of women like to check out their friends’ romantic photos and updates.

Only 37% of men like to check out their friends’ romantic photos and updates.

We asked two social media and dating experts for their input, and they offered the following tips:

Don’t go overboard on texting. Laurie Davis, founder of eFlirt Expert, says sometimes we mistake the convenience of communication for the availability of our sweetheart. Send no more than three back-to-back texts sans response.

Share the good news! Julie Spira, a leading online dating expert, CEO and founder of Cyber-Dating Expert, and author of “The Perils of Cyber-Dating“, says when a couple changes their relationships status, the cheering squad from friends jumps into high gear with an abundance of “likes.”

Use your professional filter. Julie Spira suggests if you wouldn’t say it in a job interview, don’t post it on Facebook.

Stay on the same page. Everyone has a different level of comfort with online romance and it’s important to know your partner’s social sharing preferences. Have an open discussion about likes and dislikes, and don’t be offended if your partner doesn’t want to get digitally intimate, says Laurie Davis.

Create group settings. It’s important to utilize privacy functions on sites like Facebook by creating groups that allow you to make sure that your coworkers are not opted-in to status updates about things you’d rather they not see, advises Laurie Davis. Zoosk’s couple profiles is also a private space for you to digitally capture the moments of your relationship, either keeping it just for the two of you or inviting close couple friends to join in your journey.

About the surveys: Data shared in this release comes from three Zoosk surveys conducted online, among users of Zoosk who reside in the United States. A survey in June 2012 fielded responses from more than 1,600 of its members who are in a committed relationship. Surveys in July and August 2012 fielded responses from 3,146 and 1,281 members, respectively, who are single and/or in a committed relationship.